Telescopic bathtub safety hand rail



March 6, 1956- J, SUGGS 2,736,904

TELESCOPIC BATHTUB SAFETY HAND RAIL Filed. May 21, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 @meazifizwg INVENTOR 1 I BY I I I 1 ATTORNEYS March 6, 1956 J. A. SUGGS TELESCOPIC BA'I'HTUB SAFETY HAND RAIL Filed May 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS:

March 6, 1956 J. A. suees 2,736,904

TELESCOPIC BATHTUB SAFETY HAND RAIL Filed May 21, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jmvfl. Stay ya INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent TELESCOPIC BATHTUB SAFETY HAND RAIL James A. Suggs, High Point, N. C.

Application May 21, 1953, Serial No. 356,383

1 Claim. (Cl. 4-185) This invention relates to a bath tub hand rail adapted to be removably secured on the upper surface or rim of a bath tub in such a way as to afford a means to be gripped by a person using the bath tub, to steady himself while getting into or out of the tub, the device being especially adapted for use by physically handicapped persons.

An important object of the invention is to provide a safety hand rail for bath tubs which may be used in assisting persons getting into and out of the bath tub to prevent slipping which usually results in serious injury to the person.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily and easily positioned around the upper edge of a bath tub, eliminating the necessity of making alterations in the bath tub construction to mount the rail.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bath tub hand rail which may be adjusted for use on bath tubs of various dimensions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bath tub illustrating a hand rail constructed in accordance with the present invention, as mounted on the rim of the tub.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hand rail mounted on a tub.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view through one corner of the hand rail.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of hand rail positioned on the rim of a bath tub.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5 indicates a conventional form of bath tub, to which the hand rail forming the subject matter of the present invention, is removably secured.

The hand rail includes corner sections 6 and 7 respectively, the corner sections 6 each comprising an elbow 8 having internal threads formed therein, to accommodate the threaded ends of the pipes 8 and 9 which have their threaded ends positioned within the internal threaded ends of the elbows.

Each corner section 7 also includes an elbow 11 formed with internal threads that receive the ends of the pipes 12,

2,736,904 Patented Mar. 6, 1956 the pipes 12 being of diameters slightly larger than the diameters of the pipes 8' and 9 so that pipes 8 will telescope within the pipes 12 permitting of adjustment of the hand tail for use on tabs of various sizes.

Each elbow is bored to receive a securing bolt 13, which bolt is of a length to extend a substantial distance beyond the surface of the elbow in which it is positioned, to extend through a suction cup 14 which is formed with a bore to receive the bolt.

A nut 15 is embedded in the suction cup to receive the threaded end 16 of the bolt so that the suction cup is rigidly secured to the elbow.

The various elements of the hand rail are covered with rubber tubing indicated by the reference character 17 to prevent slipping of a persons hand gripping the rail.

As better shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings the pipes of the rail are formed with openings, which are so arranged that the bolts 13 which secure the suction cups 14 to the rail, may be extended through these openings to support the suction cups at right angles to the position indicated by Fig. 2 of the drawings, thereby permitting the device to be attached to the sides of bath tubs having curved rims which will not receive suction cups in such a Way as to secure them in position on the bath tub.

In the form of the invention as shown by Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the corner sections 19 and 20 include elbows 21 and pipes extending therefrom at right angles with respect to each other, in a manner as shown in the corner sections illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

These elbows 21 are formed with bores through which the bolts 22 extend, the bolts having their lower threaded ends 23 fitted in threaded openings of the nuts 24 that are welded in the pipes 25, the pipes 25 being substantially short and preferably welded to the lower sides of the e bows 21.

These pipes 25 are formed with threads 26 that fit within threaded openings formed in the ledge of the bath tub, as clearly shown by Fig. 6 of the drawings.

This form of the invention is suggested in the event that a person may desire a more rigid structure than that alforded by the suction cups 14, the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6 being more of a permanent fixture.

In using the device, it is contemplated to provide openings to receive pipes such as shown at 25 in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the openings being normally closed by plugs, which may be removed for attaching the pipes 25 to the tub, should it be desired to use the form of the invention as shown by Figs. 5 and 6 in place of the suction cups.

The reference character 27 indicates a split collar which is secured around one of the pipes of the hand rail, the split collar being secured in position by means of the bolt 28 that passes vertically through openings formed in the ends of the split collar drawing the split collar into gripping relation with the rail. The bolt 28 extends into a bore of the shank 28' of the suction cup indicated at 29 and is threaded in the nut 29' embedded in said suction cup, the suction cup resting on the rim. at the outer side of the tub, or the side of the tub away from the usual wall of the room in which the tub is positioned, supplying an added brace for the hand rail.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided a hand rail which may be readily and easily attached to the usual rim of a bath tub, which may be gripped by persons getting into and out of the tub, particularly physically handicapped persons, thereby to assist the persons and prevent slipping, which usually results in injury to the person.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: A hand rail for positioning on the rim of a bath tub, comprising corner sections, each corner section including an elbow, pipe sections extending from said elbows, bolts extending vertically through said elbows, suction cups having openings in which the ends of said bolts are secured, nuts embedded Within the suction cups for threaded engagement with said bolts securing the suction cups to said elbows, a rubber covering about each corner section, a suction cup between a pair of said first named cups, a split clamp carried by said latter cup engaging about one References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,261,758 Brown Apr. 9, 1918 1,394,331 Monroe Oct. 18, 1921 1,468,917 Osburn Sept. 25, 1923 1,561,470 Kihn Nov. 17, 1925 1,650,067 Graves Nov. 22, 1927 2,009,721 Williams July 30, 1935 2,389,897 Davis Nov. 27, 1945 

